I mean that’s fair. But didn’t you recently agree that assuming that people can’t be susceptible to the type of rhetoric Hitler famously espoused (in reference to how the Nazis are taught in the US specifically) is pretty naive?
I don't recall exactly what you're referring to, although my point would be that the masses would already have to be predisposed and receptive to such rhetoric to begin with.
We are all susceptible to fascist propaganda.
I consider Trump to be at least Fascist friendly, as I do many of my own politicians. Specifically from our Liberal (right wing) party. In fact from where I stand both US political parties seem rather Right Wing. I’m from Australiastan for clarification.
Though I do swing rather left these days.
That said I’ve been hearing for years how the Overton Window has shifted sharply right in Americanstan in particular.
That could be. America's direction was somewhat left-leaning from FDR until Carter, then it started turning back to the right when Reagan was elected. There was a strong push towards deregulation, attacking/reversing/modifying reforms made since FDR, and a resurgence in patriotism and militarism which had briefly fallen out of favor during the Vietnam/Watergate era. I think the Iranian hostage crisis and Reagan's subsequent election was a major turning point when warmongering suddenly became "cool" again. 9/11 was an even greater turning point which also might have fueled further right-wing sentiment.
One thing to keep in mind is that, for generations, Americans have been spoon-fed and conditioned to believe that the outside world is full of many dangers and threats. We've been told that we should feel fortunate to have been born in America, as the rest of the world is filled with tyranny, deprivation, starvation, etc. Even as a kid, I was told of all the starving kids around the world because I didn't want to finish my peas. Meanwhile, we'd hear about the "Evil Empire," worldwide terrorism, the need for a permanent large military force and nuclear arsenal, rogue nations, communists/socialists. Not to mention the threat from criminals and drug cartels who are out to turn America's youth into drug addicts, which is what fueled the war on drugs.
Americans have been taught to be patriotic, to love the flag - and this sentiment is also strong even among Democrats (I saw a lot of flag waving, the National Anthem, and other patriotic elements in the Convention this week). They may not be the same as the right-wing flag-wavers, but they still know what works. They've also shown some signs of xenophobia with their "Russians are coming" rhetoric reminiscent of Reagan's "evil empire" talk.
So, you have all of these elements influencing the American mindset and political culture all this time, coming from multiple factions and elements within society, from Hollywood to Wall Street and inside the Beltway. If you fill people's heads with fear, xenophobia, and dog-eat-dog, take-no-prisoners capitalistic greed for generations, what do you think is going to happen eventually? Sooner or later, they'll start to believe it, and then you have a real problem on your hands.
(please forgive the sloppy phrasing. I’m rather more drunk these days)
I can't even use the computer when I'm drunk.
